House of the Moon
by B.D. Skunkworks
Summary: Long, long ago, in the age known as the silver millennium, pony life flourished on the world of Alkor Zephyr; better known as our moon. In this time of prosperity, the sisters Celestia and Luna are born. But soon after, disaster strikes their home and they are forced to flee. Stranded on earth, they must fight to stop the wicked force that laid waste to their former world.
1. Chapter 1- Alkor Zephyr

*Chapter 1*

Alkor Zephyr

...

Wonderlocke ambled down the carpeted corridor a slowly as his patience would allow him to. The plush carpet beneath him all but deadened the sound of his hoofsteps, which was good, he did not want his prey to escape him. As it happened, Wonderlocke was on a hunt; a particular hunt he had embarked on every day of his life for the past three years. His quarry was very allusive, never did they make this easy for him...which was just the way he wanted it.

Wonderlocke came to an abrupt stop as he passed a large magnificent window, full of the reflective moonlight that shone off the earth on their horizon. And behind one of the curtains of this window, was his opponent. He could tell because while the curtain was indeed long enough to cover her body down to her hooves, it was not wide enough to conceal the tuft of marble-blue hair that was her tail.

Wonderlocke had his chance. "Oh, my, wherever could Celestia have gone?" He drawled aloud with false wonder. "It appears I have been bested. Our princess is a truly indomitable hide-and-seek force of nature. I think I will just offer my unconditional surrender..." He turned full to face the curtain that Celestia was no doubt behind and cast his horn aglow as he magically shoved aside the curtain. "AHA!" Remarked Wonderlocke, "I have found her!"

The tiny pink alicorn filly squeaked with delighted terror as Wonderlocke bored down on her. "Hey wait, I wanna do-over!" She cried.

"No such luck, princess," Wonderlocke said. "You must surrender now if you are to receive so much as a modicum of mercy from me."

"I could do that..." Celestia said, rolling her wide blue eyes. "Or...I could do..._this_!" And she dashed away as fast as her tiny filly legs could possibly carry her, which wasn't very fast at all.

She was still within easy range of Wonderlocke's magic, as he ignited a levitation spell and pulled the young princess up to his eye level. "You are the loser in this contest, dear princess. And as such, you must give into my demands."

"Which are..." Celestia asked dubiously, although she already knew the answer.

"To begin the afternoon lesson, as we do every day."

And he set Celestia to ride on his back as he trotted back down the corridor to the lesson hall.

Life was much like this every day at the palace. Things never did change much in this world, circumstance and location pretty much saw to that. Because, as it just so happened...

These ponies lived on the moon.

Living in such a place of course afforded them protection from almost any sort of disaster, invasion, or conflict. The price, however, was total isolation. The planet however, was much more than a simple satellite that orbited the earth. It had a proper name, which was Alkor Zephyr. Of course, the only ponies who ever called it that were those that lived here, and even then, most of then still simply referred to it as "The Moon", which was more than understandable; " Alkor Zephyr" was quite the mouthful.

Life here on the moon was no easy task at all. Still most of the planet was uninhabitable, and was hence left untouched. However, a vast majority of cities had spread over Alkor Zephyr, most of them playing home to multitudes of factories and facilities where the food of this world is grown synthetically by magic.

While life on the moon flourished in small numbers, the highest concentration of lunar ponies was found in that of it's mighty capital empire, the city of Iraklia. The grand empire resided in the southern-most part of the moon. Thanks to modern irrigation, fresh water flowed freely through canals on the marble streets of the kingdom, and played wonderfully through ornate fountains that dotted the city. And of course, there was the Grand Castle Zephyr at it's center. A towering structure carved out of gilded ivory and pure white moonstone. The spires of its sparkling towers seemed to pierce the very surface of the planet earth below them, which was reflected like a fantastic mirage in the crystal-clear lake that surrounded Iraklia.

And then there were the ruling bodies themselves, the married king and queen couple that have ruled Alkor Zephyr for the past two-hundred years. First, was king Aquario. A proud and heartily out-spoken alicorn stallion who's coat was a curious shade of deep, nearly translucent purple. His eyes were an exact match of his coat, and his wonderful mane was the precise color of clean, pure water, and magically flowed like so to boot. His cutie mark was a ceramic vase from which curving lines that represented flowing water spilled. Aquario was one to treat his fellow ponies with a well-invested respect, be them peasant or noble, from which ponies, said respect and admiration was duly returned.

And then there was Queen Galactica. The alicorn mare was older than her husband by thirty-one years (with Aquario being three hundred and four) but she hardly acted the part (this is said with the most careful and utmost respect of course). Galactica's coat was a pretty seashell-pink, and her eyes were much the same color. Her glorious mane was said to be the exact hue of pale stardust, and shimmered with trapped particles of semiprecious stones. Her cutie mark was a solar eclipse; the sun overlapping the moon. Despite her relatively advanced age, (even in alicorn years) Galactica was a bright and personable pony who simply enjoyed enjoying herself. She could be seen as downright bubbly at the best of times. There have been many a pony (mostly her political opponents) that have often mistaken her lighthearted nature for weakness.

Those ponies no longer have jobs in politics.

And, as it has no doubt been deduced by now, they were the parents of Princess Celestia. And they were happily expecting another prince or princess in the coming weeks.

As Wonderlocke carried the young Princess Celestia on his back, they walked past another one of the floor-level windows that gazed out upon Grand Zephyr Castle and the encompassing backdrop of the planet earth. Celestia unceremoniously hopped from her unicorn tutor's back and gazed out the window. Sighing, Wonderlocke joined her to take in the view. By his own admission, Wonderlocke wasn't exactly a young pony anymore, and hence the spectacle of marveling at the view, as breath-taking as it actually was, has since lost it's original appeal. But Celestia, fully engrossed in the absolute wonderment that all seven of her young years could muster, always stopped to take in the sight. "Hey," she asked suddenly. "Do you think there are ponies down there?" Her voice held all the innocent, and rather reckless charm of a child who really wanted an answer to a question.

"On earth, you mean?" was Wonderlocke's response.

"Of course on earth," Celestia responded with a wise and child-like impatience. "I already know there are ponies here."

"Of course there are ponies on earth," Wonderlocke answered, somewhat untruthfully. He had always imagined such, but of course, nopony here was in any position to ever find out.

"You don't know that..." Celestia pouted. Steadying her fore hooves on the glass of the window, she raised herself to stand on her hind legs. "If there are ponies down there, I want to be the first to see them, and to find out what they're like." Wonderlocke was silently taken aback at Celestia's somber moment of personal exploration. "Do you think they know we're up here?"

"I can't really say..."

"If they did, I bet they'd call us moonies."

"_Moonies_? Your highness?" Wonderlocke said.

"Yes, moonies," Celestia said. "Ponies on the moon. Moonies." She said this to Wonderlocke as though it should have been obvious to him.

Wonderlocke heaved a sigh that turned into a chuckle. "Well dear princess, since it is I who has just received a rather thorough education here, I do believe we can skip your lessons for today," he said. "I will escort you back to-" but Celestia had already peeled out, leaving only a trail of her laughter behind her. As it turns out, that filly _could_ run fast when she wanted to.

...

The sacred birthing chamber was a riot of bustling activity. Pony maids and attendees scurried forth, this way and that, retrieving fresh blankets, fluffing pillows, or whatever else it was that their queen happened to desire at the time. And Galactica lay in the very center of the rabble, comfortable on her fluffy bed of silk and satin, but at the same time, rather discontent. As it happened, she was having a hard time finding a lying position that was equally supportive of her spine and her swollen belly. No amount of fluffed pillows or additional layers of bedding seemed to help. "Jedite!" She called.

A handsome blonde unicorn stallion made himself present at her call. "How may I be of service, my queen," he said smoothly.

"If you could be a dear and fetch me some cool water and arrange a compress for me, I'd be very much appreciative."

Jedite struck a small bow, one that barely worked the muscles in his neck. "At once," he said simply.

Galactica sighed and rolled onto her back, this prompting the almost blindingly swift replacement of several now flattened pillows she had been lying on. "You are being most stubborn." She said this directly at her belly as she craned her neck to stare down at it. "Almost twelve months now and you refuse to come. You must be a colt; only they can be this stubborn." She sighed as she let the contentment of her former nightly ritual wash over her mind. Lying in bed with Aquario as he massaged and talked to her belly, no doubt to the child inside of course. His conversations with his soon son-or-daughter-to be were highly animated; with all the enthusiastic "Oh really's " and "That's very interesting's" a father would coddle his child with.

But at that moment, it was another voice that came into her mind.  
"Mommy! Mommy!"

Galactica peered over the mound of her belly to see her sweet pink-coated daughter smiling at her from the foot of her bed, with a gaggle of somewhat disapproving nurse mares looking on. "Celestia, sweetie, I am happy to see you, of course, but should you not be with Wonderlocke about now?" She said.

"I got let off lessons today!" Celestia chirped, as though trumpeting her greatest achievement to date.

"I see..." Galactica mused. "At any rate, sugarpop, now is not the best time for you to be milling about the castle. Why don't you go play with your little friend, Moon Petal?"

"But I just wanted to see-"

Galactica held up her fore hoof and cast her daughter a withering and motherly glare. "Everything with me is fine, sugarpop. But this is a rather busy and important time in mommy's life. I of course want you to be a part of it, and you will, but not just yet. Understand?"

"Yes, mommy..."

Celestia left the birthing chamber with a somewhat dampened spirit, which immediately perked up again as she met a certain unicorn mare in the corridor. "Auntie Beryl!"

Onega Beryl was the half-sister of Queen Galactica. Though both mares shared the same birth mother, Onega Scion, their father's were quite different. Galactica's father was the legendary lunar pegasus knight, King Battlestar. While Beryl's father, was much more...nondescript. A handsome, but rather simple lunar unicorn that married into his royal title.

As it stood, Beryl was far less comparable in all areas of the public eye to her sister, the queen. She did not have Galactica's bubbly out-going companionably; nor did she share the same alicorn birth status; and while she was far from unattractive, she shared none of her sister's glowing cosmic beauty. Beryl's coat was a light, glossy brown. And her somewhat wild mane and tail were bright blood-red. Her eyes were perhaps a shade or two lighter than her hair, and her cutie mark was a crystal ball, clutched by a clawed hand. Beryl also had another feature; one that somewhat coarsened the unique looks that she had. It was a birthmark. It appeared not unlike a patch of absolute pitch-black clouds. This black mark covered nearly the entirety of the left side of her face. There were some that saw this as an omen of sorts; a reason for most ponies to keep their distance from her, something that Beryl never minded. King Aquario himself seemed the most wary of this fact, and often treated her with a blatant disregard, much to his wife's disapproval.

Beryl rolled her eyes over to address the alicorn filly that nosed her way into her midst. "How do you do, precious niece of mine..." Beryl had often been admonished for her rather dreamy speech pattern; all of her sentences seemed to drift off into space, and her attention always seemed to be elsewhere...

"Everything is fine," Celestia said, with but a trace of a rather dejected and unjust emotion. "Mommy is very busy prepping the arrival of the new baby."

"Ah, yes, she is close to giving birth isn't she?" Beryl mused. "Perhaps within the week..."

"I hope it's a colt," Celestia said wistfully. "Then I could have a little brother to boss around, and I could make him get me stuff..." Celestia cocked her little head as she thought deeper into the issue. "And if any pony ever picked on him, I would totally kick their flanks! But who would pick on a prince? And then when he's older, I can help him find that perfect mare; oh it would be wonderful!"

"You've given this quite some thought..." Beryl said.

"Only recently," Celestia said soberly. "It was nearly a year ago when mommy and daddy sat me down and said that mommy was pregnant. And I said, 'what does pregnant mean?' And daddy said that I was going to have a new little brother or sister. But that seemed like so long ago, that there was almost time to forget, but now that they're so close..."

Beryl was silent for just a few moments. "Why don't you go see your father, dear niece. I am sure he would delight in your presence about now..."

"Okay," Celestia said in a somewhat deflated tone. Beryl watched her progress down the corridor until she eventually turned down the adjacent hall. And slowly, Beryl turned her head back to it's original position, staring out the gilded window and onto the earth below.

...

Nightwing entered the vast royal hall amid the collective chatter of several royal delegates of the Alkor Zephyr's western mounds, and King Aquario himself. Hearing his approaching hoofsteps, Aquario turned his attention to his head guardsmen, "Ah, captain Nightwing," he said. "What impeccable timing you have. As it just so happens, we were just discussing the matters of border security and the possible potential for need of it's increase. If you could ever be so kind as to inform these gentlecolts here that such a thing is far from necessary."

Nightwing took his que and addressed the group of stallions just in front of him. "As it has been my duty for the past seven years, I have just returned from my patrol of the Iraklian border. And as per my findings in the previously mentioned time span, I can safely assure you that increased security is far from a necessary precaution."

"And there you have it," Aquario said somewhat triumphantly. "Now if you fine gentlecolts have anything else of importance to debate with me-"

"Daddy!"

Aquario's sentence was cut off by the rather unceremonious entrance of his young daughter, who's tiny hooves reverberated loudly on the marble floor. "It appears this court has come to an end. Matters of dire paternal importance have suddenly come to my attention." Aquario clearly said this as a joke, but none the less, the words had their desired effect as the group of pony delegates shuffled off, muttering amongst themselves. Aquario caught his daughter in a one-legged hug as she barreled into his chest at top speed. It was then that Aquario noticed that Nightwing was still standing stiffly at attention. "I know I didn't say so directly, Nightwing, but you are dismissed," he said smiling.

Nightwing fidgeted just a bit as he said, "But I have not given you my full report, your highness..."

"And I doubt very much that you will need to," Aquario chuckled. "Alkor Zephyr is in no immediate danger; and Iraklia is even less so. Why don't you take the rest of the day off."

Nightwing hesitated just slightly, the prospect of taking off so much leisure time was almost a foreign concept to the dutiful pegasus. "At your word, majesty," he finally said with a bow. He then offered the same gesture to Celestia as he trotted his way out of the hall.

"Well then," Aquario said to his daughter, "What brings you around these parts young lady. It had better be important."

"Well..." Celestia began somewhat devilishly, "Wonderlocke dismissed me from lessons today, so I thought I would use my spare time wisely and come visit you."

"Wonderlocke let you off, eh?" Aquario said. "No, no, no, that will never do." He straitened his legs as as he stood to his full height. "Since you're confident enough in your abilities to put off lessons, let's see what you can do." Aquario ignited his horn as he levitated an apple from a bowl of fruit on a stone table beside him just above his head. "And...now!" He launched the apple high into the air, just grazing the ornate ceiling that stood well above their heads.

Celestia took the que and took a few steps back, her eyes locked all the time on the rapidly falling fruit. She took careful aim at the apple and loosed a small blast of magic from her horn, which collided with her target and sent pulpy bits of apple all over the room. "Ha!" Was Celestia's triumphant cry.

"That was just for starters," Aquario chuckled. He launched three more apples into the air and Celestia shot down every one of them with an aim as true as any of his unicorn archers. Soon the hall was absolutely coated with sticky apple pulp and skin. "Wonderful!" Aquario rejoiced. "You've definitely been keeping your skills sharp!" Aquario beat two rhythmic stamps of his front hoof on the marble floor and from two corners of the room appeared two unicorn servants. "Please clean this up, won't you ladies?" He said, still chuckling. The maid mares responded with obedient bows as Aquario said to his daughter, "Would you like to watch the sun come around, Celestia?"

"Of course!" She squeaked excitedly.

So Aquario and Celestia took the well-traveled path that lead them to one of Celestia's favorite places in the entire palace. The observatory. The room was about as close to the sky as one could possibly be. From here, they had the most magnificent view of the planet earth below them, in all it's spherical splendor. The two ponies sat themselves on the balcony that looked onto the wonderful scene. While the earth was possibly one of the most beautiful things Celestia had ever seen; with it's scattered vapor of white clouds that swirled over deep blue oceans, this was not what they had come to see.

And just then, the object of their interest swam into their view. It was the sun. As radiant as it could ever be; it's rays reaching down to warm the earth below. Of course, their lunar home was much too far from the burning sphere for it to be of any use or harm to them; the lunar ponies having adapted to life with no sunlight. But there were times when Celestia wished that it would come closer, so that she may embrace it's shining warmth and feel it rush through her body.

Aquario turned to his daughter. "Do you know what the sun is, Celestia?" He asked her.

"It's a star," she said back knowingly. "Wonderlocke taught me that."

Aquario nodded. "But it's not just any star," he said. "The sun is the biggest, brightest, most powerful and beautiful star in all the universe. And it happens to be your mother's favorite." A fond distance of remembrance came to his eyes then, as he thought of the pony he loved so dearly. "She said to me, 'If I could have any star in the sky, it would be that one.' But, seeing as I can't actually give her a star; I gave her the next best thing."

"What?" Celestia said, with honest curiosity.

Aquario chuckled. "A daughter named after the very star she idolized so very much." Celestia blushed through her pink coat at the mention of the star she was named for. "But do you know what the best thing about the sun is, Celestia?" She shook her head slightly. "As I said before, the sun is the most powerful star in the universe, and one day, Celestia, it will be yours."

Celestia's eyes went saucer-wide as she took in a breath. "You mean..."

"Yes," Aquario assured her. "Me and you mother's lives have been long, and will be longer still, but there will come a day when we are no longer with you. And that is the day you will become ruling queen of Alkor Zephyr, and inherit the star you were named for. You will be the sole master of it's light and commander of all it's astral fire." He beamed down at his young daughter. "You were born to do great things, Celestia," he said. "And great things you will do." Celestia was all but silent with the wonderment of her father's speech. One day the sun would be hers, and she would rule Iraklia and all of Alkor Zephyr. Of course, she hardly wanted to imagine a world without her parents in it, but that was the grim reality of life; it could not last forever, no matter how powerful of a pony you were. But at least she wouldn't have to much about such a thing too much right now. At least not for the next two or three hundred years.

"But alas, dear daughter, it is time now for you to retire for the night."

"But I'm not sleepy, daddy!" The young princess protested.

Aquario shook his head patiently. "Sleep is much like hunger, Celestia," he said. "It is always best addressed when it is _not_ felt, so it does not interfere with one's thoughts or actions." He cocked his great purple head slightly as he mused aloud. "It is, however, quite the walk to your bedroom from here. I believe it to be in both our best interests to save us from such a dreary amount of walking, no?"

Celestia nodded gleefully as Aquario cast his horn aglow with starry purple light. And in no more time than Celestia could even blink, they were both standing in her plush, sun-colored bedroom. Celestia always marveled at her father's power; her own teleportation spells could barely get her across the room, let alone halfway across the castle. She climbed into her silken bed as her father used his magic to tuck the blanket up just under her chin. "Can you sing that song, daddy?" Celestia said.

Aquario nodded as he sat just on the edge of Celestia's bed, from where he could more easily stare into his daughter's wonderful blue eyes. The song she had requested was one that Aquario himself had become quite familiar with when he was but a colt so many years ago. It was called "The House of the Moon". The song was actually a poem, written by a famous lunar pony-poet who fancied himself, "The Prophet of the Last Eclipse". The poem itself was rather dark and doom-speaking; telling of the last pony on the moon witnessing the death of every last star in the universe, until all was plunged into a void of light-less dark. However, when said poem was converted into song, the meter came across as more relaxing and tranquilly harmonic than the lyrics may lead one to believe. And he's been singing this same song as Celestia's lullaby for the past four years. Aquario cleared his throat and began to sing:

_"Sighted._

_I am excited._

_For the last of the days._

_ I'm elated_

_but not related_

_to my kin who make their home in the stars._

_ Sold my soul for solar._

_A lunatic for Luna._

_Prophesied for profit._

_Now I've lost my mind_

_something I don't mind._

_ Shine, this silent star of mine_

_so timeless, past your prime_

_and oh-so slowly dying._

_I try to understand_

_the things that I can't stand_

_the end of the ending...beginning..."_

Celestia had been soothed into sleep even before the song ended. She lay on her back; mouth just open as she breathed rhythmically, her chest rising and falling as she did so. Aquario smiled both inwardly and outwardly, as a fatherly pride filled his being. "Sleep well, my shining star," he whispered gently, kissing her forehead ever so lovingly.

...

Beryl had not deviated a single inch from her position since her conversation with Celestia. She simply remained inert and intent; her gaze never straying from the earth on the horizon. Despite her seemingly trance-like stare, she was alert enough to notice the approach of her consort; for his image was reflected in the dark of the glass through which she stared. "My dear Jedite..." she said silkily.

The unicorn bowed with a gracious sincerity, his head nearly touching the floor between his hooves. "I bring you good news, my queen of queens," he said.

"About the legendary silver crystal?" Beryl asked.

"Yes, my lady," Jedite responded. "Out in the middle regions of dust and waste, we have honed in on a tremendous energy source. It is buried some ways beneath the surface, but it bears an unmistakable resemblance to the energy that resonates from the fragment of the crystal currently in your possession."

Beryl flicked her ears around the bronze tiara that rested on her head. In the very center of its face rested a chip of silver that shone with the most minute of enchanted iridescence. She chuckled silently to herself. "That is most wonderful, Jedite. Most wonderful indeed..."

"The legendary silver crystal shall soon be yours, my queen of queens," Jedite said smugly. "And with it's power you can finally take your proper place as ruler of Alkor Zephyr."

A crookedly genuine smile broke over Beryl's face; it's ferocity reflected in the moon glass before her. Soon she would rule this world, and the next.

Soon...

...

**A/N:**

** I have two words to say.**

** Sailor Moon Crystal.**

** Okay...granted that's three words, but you get my point. Sailor Moon has come back into my life in the best way possible (it feels like so many moons ago I was watching the original series every day before school. Ah, memories...) And of course, with my overactive imagination, I found myself starting a fanfic about it (sort of). While the fic is inspired by Sailor Moon Crystal, it also does and doesn't resemble it in most cases, which may be good, or bad...whatever.**

** Also, I learned a few things about myself recently. Apparently, with me being a Gemini and all, I'm cursed with a rather brilliant intellect, and very active mind. And it's these very facts that lead to the Gemini trait of inconsistency. You can read it all here- . **

** I guess now I realize why I can't seem to follow any of my fics through... however, I'm going to do my level best in fighting against my stupid Gemini inconsistency to bring my two pony fics home. So with that, I'll sign off for now. Will post again soon.**

** -B.D. Skunkworks**

** P.S.- So hype for the Destiny beta on XBOX360! July 23rd can't come soon enough! **


	2. Chapter 2- In the name of the Moon

*Chapter 2*

In the name of the Moon

...

Celestia was flying. Actually, the better word for it would be _falling. _She was hurtling through space; stars and moon dust whipping past her in a blur her senses didn't bother attempting to keep track of. Strait ahead of her was the planet earth. This was where she was falling to, and it was growing larger by the second. But even amongst all of this, Celestia could notice another detail.

There was someone falling with her.

Just off to her left, another shape was flying alongside her. Celestia turned her full attention to this figure and saw a young alicorn filly. She was half Celestia's size, and presumably half her age. Her coat was dark midnight purple and her eyes, (much the same color) were wide, terrified and locked directly on Celestia. Celestia's heart instantly went out to her. She did not know who this alicorn filly was, but they apparently were taking this trip together. Celestia reached out a hoof and the filly reached out her own to meet it. There was jut the ghost of a smile on her tiny face, and then-

Celestia woke up. Her body was upright and alert before her mind could catch up. She magically cast aside her bright-yellow quilts that covered her body and sat thoughtfully on her haunches.

She had been having this recurring dream for a little over a week now. It was always the same, not a single detail ever changed. But the fact that she had been having this dream so consistently lead her to believe that it was more than just a simple dream. But that was absurd...it couldn't be a... Celestia was told on more than one occasion that divine prophetic ability ran in their family in small amounts. Her aunt Beryl was apparently imbued with such powers; she was often lost in her crystal ball, gazing into it's paraselene depths as she muttered silent, informative tidbits to herself. However, Celestia had no idea if anything that Aunt Beryl divined had ever come true. Seeing as she never really talked to anypony, she didn't exactly trumpet any doomsday predictions for the whole castle to hear. But still...if Celestia had indeed inherited a trace of this power, then could what she be seeing really come true on one day?

Celestia gave her body a vigorous shake that started from her head and traveled the entire length of her body, loosening all her muscles in the process. Such a thing was ridiculous, she told herself. But her doubts immediately overran her sensibilities. The image of that alicorn filly swam clearly in her mind's eye. Who was she? Where did she come from? And what importance did she hold to her? These questions chased viscous circles around Celestia's head with no answers in sight. In the end, she simply decided start her day with her well-rehearsed ritual.

Celestia waddled to the very foot of her bed; having to lift her hooves about a mile high for each step as they sank so easily into her super plush bedding, and took her position. Just a few feet from her perch was her vanity, even from here her face was reflected clearly in it's mirror's surface. She spread her tiny wings, and with the buzz of a lunar humming bird, flapped them with all her might. She could generate just enough lift to hover a few inches over her bed, which was actually a few feet above the floor. She angled her body forward by extending her forelegs and allowing the counterbalance they created to weigh her in her desired direction. And a short aerodynamic exertion later, her flank was perfectly aligned over her fluffy tuffet. She folded her wings closed at once, and plopped neatly onto her target. She sighed with triumphant content as she set about her next task, fixing her hair.

Celestia stared into her own blue eyes reflected in the mirror before casting her horn aglow. She focused a portion of the magical flow just upwards and into her hair. Instantly it took on an ethereal and mesmerizing flowing motion, as though her hair had suddenly become made of water. She marveled at the effect in the mirror. She had long admired the flow of her father's water-like hair and had been secretly working on perfecting the spell he told her to make it so. However, the effect was completely cosmetic, serving absolutely no utilitarian purpose whatsoever. Not only that, it was extremely taxing on one's magic reserves to maintain said spell, as it had to be kept up at all times with a perpetual focus. Galactica never bothered with it as she herself once stated that her mind was on too many other things at once to be bothered with such a thing. She was also on record saying that her hair was beautiful enough as it was, and there wasn't a single pony on the moon that would disagree with that either.

Celestia's head was already beginning to swim with the effort of maintaining the spell. She let the magic flow out of her hair as it deflated to it's original shape and used her magic to perform the much more achievable task of pulling a brush through it. Her mane now neat and presentable, she hopped off the stool and set about fluffing her tail, the hairs of which were now clumped and flattened seeing as she had been sitting them for the past ten minutes. After the magically guided soft-bristled brush had adequately tamed her tail, it was now time for the most important task of the day. It was the one thing that Celestia could never start her morning without; the one thing she knew she needed and could not live without; the absolute most prodigiously important and direly necessary thing in the entirety of all of Alkor Zephyr's very existence.

Breakfast.

Celestia's stomach rumbled almost happily at the thought. If there was one thing Celestia liked , it was food. Most of her daydreams were about food. Apples, carrots, and celery would often float about her thoughts when she was bored. And while she loved her fruits and vegetables just fine, there was one food in which she held a particularly high regard. And that was cake. Celestia absolutely adored cake; cake of all flavors. The chefs of the castle always prepared the most delectable of cakes, special occasions or no.

One one very well-marked occasion, Celestia had eaten an entire half of a rather decorative chocolate layer cake all by herself. Unfortunately, said cake made quite a messy re-appearance about an hour later. It was after this that Celestia decided that her most favorite of all desserts should be enjoyed but one slice at a time.

Upon exiting her bedroom and her entry into the corridor, she was met by two of her personal pegasus guards. While Celestia knew they were of course hired for her protection, she always wondered exactly what they were protecting her from. The most danger she had ever been in was Wonderlocke popping from around the corner and shouting "BOO!" But seeing as that has only ever happened once, she hardly ever saw the need to be guarded so closely. So Celestia formulated a plan to ditch her guards.

"Hey," she said out loud. This of course caused the pegasus guards in question to stop and turn towards her. "Do you guys wanna see something really cool?"

The first pegasus stallion looked toward his guard partner, who rolled his eyes affectionately and said, "Sure thing, princess. What exactly do you have in mind?" He said this clearly to humor her, but none the less, she had their attention.

"As it so happens, I've been working a super-duper secret skill," Celestia said proudly. She paced back and forth between the two stallions, as they swiveled their heads this way and that to keep track of her progress. "It's taken me weeks to perfect this technique; and it's not something for the faint of heart either." Celestia stopped her circuit about the corridor and took a deep breath of concentration. "And now, if you're ready, I'm going to show you just how...HOLY MOONROCKS WHAT IS THAT!?" Celestia pointed a distressed hoof at the end of the corridor as she shouted. The pegasus guards immediately took up arms a they turned in the direction of the apparent disturbance. While their attention was directed one way, Celestia took off full tilt down the corridor in the opposite direction, laughing the whole way.

She slowed her gallop to a trot as she approached the double doors leading to the dining hall. She took just enough time to get her rapid breathing in check before she magicked the doors open and stepped inside. The early morning scene that greeted her eyes was as familiar as her own reflection in the mirror. A single long table had been placed in the center of the hall; said table's length was more than adequate for it's smattering of occupants at this time. Jedite and Wonderlocke had their heads together over a book that lay between them; Captain Nightwing and the morning shift of guards took up their own section of table space, digging into the hearty spread that had been put before the stallions; and just near the head of the table, sat Celestia's dear friend, Moon Petal.

She trotted up to her designated seat at the long table and settled next to her. "Mooney!" Celestia chirped in her ritualistic greeting of her friend.

Moon Petal turned and joyously greeted Celestia, "Sunny!" The two wrapped their forelegs around one another in an affectionate hug. Moon Petal was a moon mare (having no horn or wings) who was only a few months older than Celestia herself. Her coat was as white as moon stone and her mane and tail were a light, rosy-red. Her cutie mark was a blooming moon lotus that she was named for. As captain Nightwing was her uncle (the daughter of Nightwing's brother, Night Steel) she had spent alot of her time amongst the higher-ups of Iraklia, and had gotten quite acquainted with the members of the royal family. Which is exactly how she met and befriended Celestia.

"Sunny, look what daddy got for me yesterday!" Moon Petal gave a slight pull of a string that was tied around her right fore hoof , and from it's perch on the empty throne that usually sat Queen Galactica, fluttered a delicate and beautiful bird that landed on Moon Petal's outstretched hoof.

Celestia sucked in a breath of longing appraisal. "A Moonjay..." she sighed. "Those are really rare here..."

"Normally only found in the eastern mounds of Cydonia," Moon petal said knowingly. "Daddy was stationed there for the past week and brought me this back as a present. And of course I absolutely adore her."

Celestia watched as the Moonjay preened her blue and white plumage. "What's her name?" She asked.

"Her name is Philomena." Moon Petal said back.

"If I get a pet I'll name her Philomena, too." Celestia said. "It's such a beautiful name, where did you get it?"

"Well, mommy is pregnant again, and she said that if the new baby is a mare, that's the name she will give her." Moon Petal stared wistfully into space for a moment. "Oh how wonderful it would be to have a sister..."

"A sister?" Celestia said. Celestia never did tell her friend of her desire for a brother.

"Yeah," Moon Petal said. "Then we can paint our hooves, and try on clothes, and talk about cute colts like tall, blonde, and scraggly over there."

She pointed a hoof towards Jedite, who looked up long enough from the book he was perusing to say, "I'm a natural blonde you know."

Moon petal blushed a bit as a funny smile crept across her face. Celestia had always been sure that Moon Petal fancied him.

It was then that Celestia's stomach gave a rumble; a gentle reminder that she had not yet filled it. She looked over the spread that had been set out over the table. It was the usual fare of fruits, vegetables, and grains; nothing exotic, but certainly tasty. Celestia magicked over two particularly plump red apples and then used her magic to expertly cut them both into eights, which was how she liked to eat them, slice by slice. She was just about to dig in when the doubled doors to the dining hall burst open and the two pegasus guards that Celestia had evaded earlier fluttered into the hall, panting for breath.

"Oooh, somepony's in trouble!" Moon Petal said this right to Celestia, knowing that they were tasked with guarding her and were probably furious that she had given them the slip. Celestia heaved a sigh and resigned herself to a good talking to not just from them, but probably Wonderlocke as well. But the words that escaped their mouths were far from what she expected.

"It's the Queen! She is giving birth!"

The apple slice Celestia had been levitating stopped halfway to her mouth. Did he just say...? Could it really be? Before she could answer her own questions, she and the entirety of the hall were up and galloping for the doors. It just so happened the birthing chamber was but a short trip down the main staircase and three doors down from there. Nightwing reached the doors to the chamber first and flung them open. He stood aside and let the ensemble of ponies head inside, chattering with excitement. All except for Moon Petal that was. Nightwing held a hoof up in her path and said gently "I'm sorry little one, family and staff only."

Moon Petal's ears fell as she took the news. "Oh c'mon, Nighty, can't you make an exception just one time?" Celestia moaned.

"I'm afraid not, princess," Nightwing said. "It is doctrine."

Celestia sighed and turned to her friend. "Don't worry, Mooney, I promise you'll be first in line to see the new baby."

Moon Petal smiled and nodded her head. Celestia then noticed her aunt Beryl. She was standing in what had come to be known as her "perch" just outside the birthing chamber, looking through the enormous ground-level window and onto the earth below. Celestia approached her somewhat cautiously, seeing as the rabble coming from the chamber and the noise of it's new entrants hadn't seemed to peek her curiosity at all. "Auntie Beryl..." Celestia said timidly. "Don't you want to come inside and see the new baby born?"

Beryl was motionless for a few moments as she continued her stare out the window. And then she said slowly, "I need not witness such a thing, dear niece, I have already seen it before..."

Celestia could only guess that Beryl was alluding to her own birth seven years ago. "Well, yeah but-"

"You have much better things to be attending to right now, dear niece..." Beryl said. "Go on and behold the birth of your sister..."

Celestia cocked her head in confusion. How could she know that the baby was a filly? Even the doctors couldn't know the gender before they were born. And then Nightwing's voice brought her back to reality, "Hurry princess, the moment is upon us!" Celestia scurried back into the doors, but cast one lat look at her odd aunt, who had never broken her stare at the earth through her window.

The birthing chamber was a controlled riot of ponies scurrying this way and that, shouting orders and fetching things from across the room. Celestia managed to locate Wonderlocke in the relative chaos of it all. He was just at the edge of the bed where Queen Galactica was formally laying. Given Celestia's tiny seven-year-old stature, she could barely see anything of her mother or father through the crowd of adult pony legs and bodies. "Here," Wonderlocke said as he squatted down, inviting Celestia to climb onto his back. She did so, and her new elevation afforded her a clear view of the scene in the very center of the room.

Galactica was standing on her own four legs, her head buried in the supportive crook of Aquario's shoulder as he stroked her back and spoke soothing words into her ear. Celestia was just a small bit worried as it seemed like her mother was in great physical pain. Her mane was plastered to her head from the sweat that covered her entire body, and her breath was coming in short, raggedly controlled bursts. "Is mommy okay...?" Celestia asked in concern to Wonderlocke.

He only chuckled in response. "She could not be better, princess," he said back. "Foal birth is indeed painful for the mare, but that is part of the miracle."

There was a small team of pony doctors just at Galactica's flank. The head unicorn doctor was staring intently at a stopwatch that he held in one hoof as he strategically massaged Galactica's belly with the other. "Contractions are very close together now," he mused. He positioned himself just behind Galactica's flank, (a position, certainly now, and in any other scenario that could be seen as highly desirable) and said, "Alright, your highness, give a big push on three. One, two, three!"

Galactica clenched her teeth as she grunted in exertion of the labor. "Ah yes, here comes the foal."

The team of doctors readied a soft bed of blankets and pillows just below Galactica's hind quarters. "Now for the best part," Wonderlocke said. He moved amongst the crowd of ponies jostling for a view of the scene to a prime position right over the shoulder of the doctors. From here Celestia could see, well, she didn't quite know what to make of what she was seeing.

Galactica's hind legs were spread wide as what was no doubt the baby in question dangling halfway from her...well...Celestia knew what it was called, but had never said the word out loud.

"One more big push, highness," the doctor instructed.

Galactica loosed an exhausted scream as the baby was finally extricated from the womb. It plopped down gently onto the bed of pillows and was followed by a flood of various liquids that caused Celestia to purse her lips and cringe a little.

It was at this point she was thankful she hadn't eaten anything that morning.

The foal was whisked away where the doctors went to work on it, patting it dry with towels and blankets. Galactica had collapsed onto her puffy bed in exhaustion where Aquario comforted her with kisses and whispers. Celestia's attention was torn between her parents and her new sibling, not that she could see much of either with the crush of ponies now more excited than ever. She was however, able to pick up on the hushed conversation the doctors were having over the foal. "Look there, on the flank, is that a cutie mark?"

"No pony is born with a cutie mark."

"It is a birth mark."

"Does Onega Beryl not bear that same mark?"

Celestia was lost to the rest of the conversation as Wonderlocke drew her attention. "Well now, that wasn't so bad now was it?"

"It's alot messier than the books make it out to be..." was her response.

Just then a hush came over the room as the head pony doctor moved in front of the crowd. He carried the new foal in a bundle of white blankets crooked in one leg as he balanced himself on the other three. Every eye in the room was on him as he paused for a dramatic effect just before the announcement. "It's a filly!" He declared. The ponies in the room stomped their hooves in elation.

"Well young princess, you have a sister!" Wonderlocke shouted above the ruckus.

"A sister..." Celestia was just the smallest bit disappointed, but she quickly cast the feeling aside. The doctor presented the baby to her waiting parents who were overjoyed at the moment. Wonderlocke knelt down to allow Celestia to climb off his back. "Go on and meet your new sister, princess," he said.

Celestia slowly made her way to the bed where her mother lay with the foal cradled in her front legs. Galactica caught sight of her approach and beamed. "Celestia, come see your new sister! She's absolutely anxious to meet you!"

Celestia propped her front hooves on the edge of the bed and raised herself just to her mothers legs where the baby was being held. Galactica gently peeled back the bundle of blankets over the baby's head to reveal a tuft of pale midnight-blue hair over the tiny stub of a horn. The baby stretched her tiny legs to reveal a dark purple coat.

And then Celestia was falling again.

She was plummeting towards the earth with a speed she could not fathom. And beside her, was that alicorn filly again; _this_ alicorn filly. Celestia reached out her hoof and the small filly met it with her own as the planet before then loomed larger and larger. The filly then spoke words that Celestia could not hear over the rush of starwind in her ears. "I said, isn't she beautiful?" Galactica spoke again.

Celestia was brought back to reality by the question. "Oh, yes...she is wonderful!" Celestia once again retreated to her thoughts as she mulled over the what she had just seen in her mind's eye. What did that vision mean, and why was she having it so often?

Her train of thought was broken once again by her father. "And now of course, we need a name for our new princess."

Galactica lapsed into a thoughtful silence. "Zephyr," she said. "Onega Zephyr." They both looked to the baby, as though seeking a sign of her approval, but it looked for all the world that she had fallen asleep. "No go, huh..."

Then Celestia had a thought. She suddenly remembered Wonderlocke's teaching her the oldest and first known name of their world. "Luna," Celestia said. "In the name of the moon."

The tiny alicorn filly yawned adorably and beat her miniscule wings under the blankets. Both Galactica and Aquario broke out into matching smiles. "That settles it," Aquario said. He turned as he addressed the room, "Everypony behold, Princess Luna!"

Cheers erupted throughout the room at the declaration of their new princess. "However did you think of that, sugarpop?" Galactica asked her first daughter.

Celestia shrugged. "I don't know. It just seemed...right."

And so it was.

...

The day was nearly done. Celestia sat just in front of the new crib that had been built for Luna. She lay fast asleep, flat on her belly among a soft bedding of blankets. Celestia smiled to herself. She had been this small once, having her parents and the entirety of the castle's inhabitants swooning over her. But then the memory of her reoccurring vision came back to her mind. It would surely drive her mad if she kept dwelling on it as she was, but she could not shake the suspicion that it was all too important to decipher.

She did not get to think long as her father exited the master bedroom next door and joined her in the small side bedroom that one belonged to Celestia. He sat down next to her as together they admired his newest daughter. "Wonderful, isn't she?" He said. Celestia nodded her agreement. "It felt like only yesterday that you were born, Celestia, and all the same feelings are coming back, only twofold."

"Where's mommy?" Celestia asked.

"She is sleeping," was Aquario's response. "She has poured so much energy into giving us this miracle, and so she must rest." Aquario adopted a very stoic silence then. At length he said, "Celestia, do you remember what I told you about sleep?"

"Of course, daddy."

"Well then, go to it, whether you are ready to meet it or not." Celestia knew enough to realize when she was being dismissed, she supposed it was something that she would have to get used to; her parents' attention constantly on the new baby instead of her.

"Good night, daddy..."

"Good night, Celestia," Aquario said. Celestia slowly exited the room and clicked the door closed softly behind her. Aquario then turned his attention to his newborn daughter, resting so divinely in her infantile sleep. Aquario took in a breath through his nostrils as he ignited his horn. Using his magic, he gently pulled the covers back from Luna's tiny body as the source of his worry was revealed.

Right there on her flank, was a mark he would recognize anywhere and on anypony. It was a path of pitch-black clouds. There were many ponies who thought this to be a cutie mark. But Aquario knew better. He had seen the mark before. It was the same mark that Galactica's abnormal half sister, Onega Beryl bore. And he knew in his heart of hearts that there was something twisted and monstrously wrong with that pony, but nopony else seemed to share his concern. And to see that same mark on his sweet baby girl, Luna...

He refused to believe it could be true. That there was some sort of dark and evil seed that was lying within his precious daughter; something that was waiting to turn her into some kind of...nightmare. He rested his head in the bars of the crib. And he remained there for the rest of the night.

Silent, inert, and in deepest, deepest turmoil.

...

*End of Chapter 2*

**A/N:**

** Back with an update, hurray for me! I know I am all too slow with these chapters, but please bear with me. I'd like to thank all of those who faved, followed, and reviewed my story so far, you guys seem to be liking it! **

** On some unrelated notes; currently watching RWBY season 2, Sailor Moon crystal (the inspiration for this fic) and playing...well, I'm really playing anything because every game I play just makes me think of Destiny, and how much I want to play Destiny, and how long I've been waiting for Destiny, and how much I'm looking forward to Destiny. In case you haven't noticed...**

** I REALLY WANT DESTINY!**

** Sorry bout the yelling there...this is just drivin' me nuts. Anywho, let me sign off before I drive you guys crazy too. Thanks for reading, and I'll post again as soon as I can.**

** -B.D. Skunkworks**

** P.S.**

** DESTINYYYYYYYYYY! **


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